Additive manufacturing of space horizon sensors for attitude control
Description: the project scope is the implementation of a functional prototype of a Horizon sensor for attitude determination of satellites, connecting space sector and advanced manufacturing by means of the use of additive manufacturing in the mechanical parts of the unit.
The target product to improve is a Horizon sensor (HSNS) developed by Solar MEMS for the small satellite market, which is used for Earth detection and Nadir vector determination in satellites.
The main objective is to develop new manufacturing and design techniques for optimization of critical parameters in this type of device, specifically in terms of mechanical and thermal robustness through design improvement and elimination of mechanical elements, weight reduction by topology optimization, and simplification of the design with a reduction of mechanical complexity and cost.
The project consortium is composed by Titania Ensayos y Proyectos Industriales S.L., specialized in testing and research on advanced manufacturing and surface treatments (among others) for the aeronautic market, and Solar MEMS Technologies S.L., focused on space sector and attitude sensors for satellites, both from Andalusian region.
GALACTICA project aims to support the creation of new industrial value chains around textile and aerospace sectors based on advanced manufacturing. CTA is one of the Spanish partners of this project, which is made up of 10 European partners and funded by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of the European Union (EU).
